Workshop thermal gloves- advice please

[JimmieSParticipant @jimmies]

Can anyone recommend lightweight thermal gloves suitable for workshop use. I suffer from poor circulation and, when the temperature is less that 15C my fingers go numb. The obvious solution is heating. I have tried pig house bulbs, radiant heaters, fan heaters all with little success as the workshop is part of a single brick garage. It is also too small to divide into two units

[JimmieSParticipant @jimmies]

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Extra clothes and fingerless gloves, that way you have still the ability to feel what you are doing. Advice given by former secretary who had to type in a "frig" office.!!

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

I am not normally an Elf''n'safety jobsworth but I would be VERY wary of using gloves when machining, especially if my fingers lacked feeling.

If your budget allows it insulation, and loads of it, (for the garage as well as you) would be a good first move.

Jim

Edited By Jim Nic on 25/02/2017 22:16:02

[Alan Waddington 2Participant @alanwaddington2]

Pot belly stove ? Had one in my old workshop which was also a brick uninsulated single garage. Proper toasty

[HacksawParticipant @hacksaw]

I suffer that too ..Ansell hy-flex 11-800 allow you to feel things alright . My hands are small and long fingers , i use size 7 for a skin tight fit ,so i can feel through them . 8 is like a normal blokes fit , 9 and upwards are for hands like shovels . A bit of vasaline or lanolin on the backs of your hands helps warmth a little

Edited By Hacksaw on 25/02/2017 22:23:07

[Roger Williams 2Participant @rogerwilliams2]

Jimmie, I wear thin white cotton gloves all the time in the workshop in winter, similar to what the Japanese train drivers use. Oh, and I keep my fingers away from rotating things !!. You can buy them off ebay by the bagful. By the way, every video Ive seen of Japanese lathe operators, all wear gloves. Just needs common sense.

[HacksawParticipant @hacksaw]

Those Ansell gloves …. you don't want to be paying more than £22 for 12 pairs delivered !

SOME Ebay sellers grossly inflate the price

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

I second the comment that wearing gloves while machiniing is dangerous. They can easily get caught in rotating parts unless you are 101% confident that your hands will always be completely clear of rotating parts. I'm not and never wear gloves.

If you cannot heat the workshop, get one of the heated jackets which are powerred by cordless drill batteries. Sold by AEG and Milwaukee (possibly others as well)

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I worked with a team from Honda Engineeering and they all wore gloves all the time, they also had a complete set of clean overalls every day, not like us stinky Brits who had a weekly change of overalls, mind you the humidity in Japan needed two changes of shirt a day so maybe they didn't realise Oxford was a bit more temperate than Tokyo.

Mike

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Mike,

Did the Japanese machinists operate automatic/CNC machines or old manual lathes and mills like us poor hobby machinists ?

Paul.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 26/02/2017 00:58:37

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Some time after I left aero engine over haul, the workshop went to negative pressure, the workers to disposable caps gloves, over shoes, and overalls. Warmth was OK , three 3Kw sections of under floor heating.

Ian S C

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

Rather than gloves which could get caught up and do some real damage, how about replacing machine handles with wood or plastic so they are less efficient at sinking the heat from your hands? Away from rotating machinery, gloves with a "Thinsulate" layer may offer the best compromise of warmth and feel.

Brian

[Alan Wood 4Participant @alanwood4]

I quite like MSC's Nitrile gloves. Very comfortable to wear, tight fitting, tactile and have a good grip. MSC code MPA-55308-L for size 8. Usual disclaimers.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I worry about gloves, because my nephew was on ambulances and saw several people who had been 'de-gloved' and that doesn't mean the glove was pulled off their hand…

Neil

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Vary wary of gloves in the vicinity of rotating machinery, one split second lapse of concentration… no use going to the 'second hand shop'. Once had to do an H & S enquiry into a guy that was de-gloved using a pedestal drill. Please look at alternatives as suggested above.

​George. ( Tech I.O.S.H. Ret. )

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Heating your wrists warms the blood flowing to your hands, have you investigated infra-red wrist heat pads?

Long term I'd suggest insulating and draught proofing the garage.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

A few weeks back I was machining some black steel and got to the end of a 6" or so cut. I wanted to flick away the oil and swarf from on top the work piece and used the piece of rag I was holding instead of the brush I always use. Having not switched off the spindle first it was a wake up call to pay attention and concentrate when the rag was snatched from my hand and wrapped itself around the roughing cutter. If I had been wearing gloves I might have just used a gloved finger to flick some of the swarf away, but I never wear them when machining. I think tiredness also played a part in lack of concentration, which I think gets worse in cold environments, so it's not just hands that need to be kept warm.

We used to install down-draft fan heaters in retail shops above the doors to create a curtain of warm air which theoretically was a barrier for cold air entering a premises. Maybe something like this could be an alternative?

Ed.

[JimmieSParticipant @jimmies]

Many thanks for all suggestions. Should have added that my request was for bench work only. Some 55 years ago my m/w teacher may sure his instructions would not be ignored a second time re clothing and things that revolve.

I recently visited my GP who, after seeing my collect of 'finger chilblains,' decided my problem was caused by "a lifetime of smoking resulting in narrowing and damaged of the arteries". After I said I was a non-smoker he recommended in cold weather I should stay in a warm environment and wear good quality clothing!

I have tried all kinds of industrial gloves, ones which keep me warm are too thick for practical work. Despite being well wrapped up down to the wrist, with fingerless ones the fingers start turning grey and are numb within 5 minutes. The nitrile ones much the same.

So warm environment it will have to be. Perhaps a move to some sunny land – following a lotto win.

[Dougie SwanParticipant @dougieswan43463]

I use little things called hotties

They are like large tea bags with a chemical mixture inside that reacts with moisture in the air to create heat

Kept in a pocket they work wonders when my digits get too cold

http://www.costco.co.uk/view/p/little-hotties-hand-warmers-40-pair-pack-186892

Dougie

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

How about a radiant IR heater aimed at the bench?

Neil

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Until I switched to LED I could feel the warmth of my 60w angle-poise on my hands which is positioned so that it is only a foot off the bench to put the light down there not into my eyes. Another help might be a metal plate say 2'x1' as the main work top with soldering iron or some such heating elements. As well as heat coming up to your fingers all the tools resting on it would be warmed too. It was common to to use a light bulb in a biscuit tin like this to heat photographic developing solutions.

[Robert BParticipant @robertb]

We installed overhead infrared heating over a work bench in a space impossible to heat effectively. It worked well, not good for the space heating but bench work was OK. Have you looked at USB heated fingerless mittens? Cable may be an issue but plug in USB sockets are cheap.

Robert

[Cyril BonnettParticipant @cyrilbonnett24790]

Wall mounted panel heater!

**LINK**

[Clive BParticipant @cliveb55652]

I use this type of woven nylon gloves, available from many other suppliers:-

https://www.justgloves.co.uk/Work-Gloves/Mixed-Fibre-Gloves/Low-Lint-PVC-Dotted-Nylon-Gloves

Available in a range of sizes, they are slightly stretchy giving a close fit. Thin enough to be able to feel what you are doing and thick enough to take the chill away (maybe not for sub-zero temperatures) . The pvc dotting improves the grip and works surprisingly well. Last for ages, much better than cotton gloves and relatively cheap.

Clive

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